Spicy Grain-Free Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Here in Minnesota, cabbage rolls are a hearty favorite recipe! But so many of them contain rice. So we decided to come up with a grain-free option, that was equally as satisfying. These are cute little rolls (made using the soft inner leaves of Savoy cabbage) and stuffed with the most decadent mixture of ground pork, ground beef, Spanish chorizo, and spices. It’s a hearty, filling, and very satisfying meal that will feed 4 people at two cabbage rolls per person.
If you have any allergens, be sure to check the labels of your Spanish chorizo as some do contain gluten. If you cannot source one you like, use chopped, smoked bacon instead and add in another teaspoon smoked paprika to the mix. Enjoy!
Spicy Grain-Free Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 TB unsalted grass-fed butter
- ½ onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 7 oz ground pork mince
- 7 oz ground beef mince
- 6.3 oz Spanish chorizo chopped very small
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 TB tomato concentrate
- 2.8 oz grated extra strong Cheddar cheese grated
- 8 large Savoy cabbage leaves
- 1 TB olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh basil sliced
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients prepped and ready.
- Melt the butter in a large pan or wok and cook the onions over moderate heat until softened. Add the garlic and cook until they, too, have softened.
- Tip in the ground meat, chopped chorizo, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook over moderately high heat until the meat browns and cooks through safely.
- At the same time in a separate pan, cook the chopped tomatoes and dried oregano until the tomatoes break down. Use a potato masher if it helps. Stir through the tomato concentrate and remove from the heat.
- Add three tablespoons of the cooked tomato mixture – along with a handful of grated Cheddar – into the mince mixture and stir well to combine. Set aside. Set the remaining tomato sauce aside, too, while you continue with the cabbage.
- For the cabbage, use the 8 largest leaves (preferably from the inner part of a Savoy cabbage) and use a sharp knife to remove the hard, white part by making a V-shaped incision, as pictured. This will assist in folding the leaves later.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the leaves for 2-3 minutes until they have wilted completely.
- Carefully remove the leaves using tongs and set them aside on a tray lined with parchment paper to drain excess water. Pat them dry if needed.
- Have a large casserole or oven-proof dish ready, and spoon two tablespoons of tomato sauce on the bottom.
- Take one cooked cabbage leaf at a time and spoon the minced mixture into the center. Fold the leaf up into a little roll and place it folded side down into the casserole. Repeat the process with the remaining mince and 7 leaves.
- Spoon the remaining tomato mixture in and around the cabbage rolls and brush a little olive oil on the cabbage using a pastry brush.
- Scatter over the remaining grated cheddar and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- To serve, season with freshly ground black pepper and sliced basil leaves.
Nutrition
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Hi, my name is Kate.
I love food. Real food. We eat all of the things that nursing school taught me were bad for you: butter, eggs, bacon, and raw milk.
I am a Nurse, a Mom, and a Real Food loving blogger. Just trying to save the world.